May I Ask A Question?
by Captain Compass
Summary: A series of semi-related one shots; not a continuous story. An intelligent and highly inquisitive Harry Potter overcomes his shyness to ask some very important questions to the people around him. Canon compliant but possibly plot changing. Occasionally humorous.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Diagon Alley

Harry had had quite about enough, thank you very much. It had been an astounding chain of events that had followed his eleventh birthday. First was Uncle Vernon going spare over a few (well maybe a bit more that a few) letters that came from a mysterious school called Hogwarts. Then there was the random wandering around the countryside. Following that came the sudden and unexpected arrival of one Rubeus Hagrid, the groundskeeper of said school of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Hagrid had at least explained that Harry was a wizard and gave him some real answers about his parents and life in the magical world.

It was embarrassing and somewhat scary to go have to deal with the crowd of well-wishers at the Leaky Cauldron although it was nice that Hagrid hurried him out of there quickly enough. Harry was almost stunned beyond belief at the amount of money, magical money, that had been in his own personal vault at the goblin run bank Gringotts. Harry had grabbed more than enough to buy the supplies that were on his list.

The surprises had kept piling up one on top of one another all day. The arrogant boy at Madam Malkin's, the other magical shops and the amazing bookstore that Hagrid had basically had to drag him out of were all eye-openers. Especially after a young boy, after hearing his name, had shyly asked if asked him to autograph his new copy of 'Harry Potter vs The League of The Cursed'. Both the boy's parents and his older sister were awe-struck but apologized for disturbing him and Harry suddenly felt the eyes of everyone in the area following his every movement.

Getting that beautiful and intelligent Snow Owl from Eeylops Owl Emporium only settled Harry's uneasiness a little. There was a growing sense of worry and nervousness the longer he stayed in the magical shopping area. However Harry worded some of his questions, Hagrid had been unable or unwilling to answer all of them. Harry knew he was probably gibbering like an idiot and carrying on too much but there were so many questions that he didn't know about his new life yet. Everyone was either praising him or staring at him like he had grown a second head. Of course, it was tad hard to be even a little inconspicuous while you were being accompanied around by Hagrid.

At least the answers seemed to be available; it wasn't like he was back at 4 Privet drive and encouraged (beaten) to keep his 'pie-hole shut', as the Dursleys were all fond of screaming at him. The easy going Keeper of the Keys seemed very patient and happy to be introducing him around.

And now he was here at his last stop of the wonderful place called Diagon Alley - Ollivanders Wand Shop. The silver-eyed old wizard had gone to a great deal of trouble and time in finding the exact wand that would be the best match for Harry. It was what the proprietor said after had successfully tried out the holly and phoenix feather wand that totally flabbergasted Harry. That the brother wand of his had been the one to kill his parents and give him the scar that was a symbol of his notoriety. Harry frankly had the urge to place the wand back down on the counter and walk or run out of the store at that point. But Hagrid had insisted that this was the only proper place to get a wand and Harry didn't quite dare disappoint his new and larger than life friend.

Harry was still feeling the incredible rush of magic and specialness in holding his wand but he couldn't restrain himself from asking something of the old man with the incredible memory.

"Mr. Ollivander, may I ask a question or two?"

"As I have no other customers at the moment, I would enjoy a nice conversation with you young man."

"Thank you but isn't it sort of illegal or unethical to sell one of your wands to a Dark Lord?"

Ollivander chuckled. "I did no such thing!"

"But you just told me that you sold the brother to my wand to Lord Volde -sorry, You-Know-Who?"

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was only a lad like yourself when he came in here with Headmaster Dumbledore."

"The headmaster knows Lord V.., sorry, You-Know-Who?"

"He attended Hogwarts."

Hagrid tried interrupting Harry and getting him to leave the store but Harry had just reached a starting point of his questions. "Hagrid told me that the Dark Lord vanished after attacking me. How does everyone know it was Lord Voldemort?"

"Please don't say that name Mr. Potter. But every wand contains the unique magical signature of the person who uses it."

"So they found 'Whozits's wand?"

Hagrid and Ollivander exchanged a look that said that the answer to the question was beyond then. "Nobody knows Harry."

"Did it get confiscated by anyone? Did you find it Hagrid since you were the first there after my parents… after it happened?"

"I didn't see any wand Harry but I was in a rush to get you out of that place. Maybe the aurors found it when they came and investigated."

"Aurors, who are they? Never mind that now. Do you know if that wand was confiscated or destroyed? That would seem like a logical thing to do if that wand was used like a weapon and was found at a…a mur…the scene of a crime?"

Ollivander shook his head in shock. He wasn't used to answering such direct questions from a new wand owner. "I don't know lad. Nobody does."

Harry scratched his head in annoyance. 'Did nobody think to ask questions in this world?' he thought to himself.

Trying another tack, Harry turned back to ask another important question, to him at least. "So did this Voldemort have a regular first name?"

"What?"

"Mr. Ollivander, you've just demonstrated to me that you have a perfect memory for the combination of wands and the wizards or witches that have bought them. It's a simple question I think. Were my parents killed by somebody named Jack? Barney? Winston? Was it Chauncey Voldemort? I would think it would be an easy enough name for you to tell me."

"Lad, I've a binding oath that I've sworn to Dumbledore that I must not tell anyone about that wizard's name."

"WHAT? So Dumbledore knows Voldemort's name? An oath even against me – the victim?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry."

"Me too. I guess I'll have to ask Dumbledore when I see him at school." Harry stood up and put the wand in the front pocket of his trousers. He nodded to Hagrid and the half-giant and Harry went to the front of the store. Just as he reached the doors, Harry spun around and ran back to the counter and Ollivander.

He pulled the receipt for the wand out of his pocket and slapped it down in front of the suddenly nervous wizard. "Maybe you can't _tell_ me his name, but could you write it down? For god's sake, please - it was my parents that were murdered!"

Ollivander stared at Harry's face for a long time before reaching for a quill. He turned the receipt over and was surprised that he could actually write the name down. Harry hardly glanced at it before enthusiastically shaking Ollivander's hand and thanking him again. Rushing out to catch up with Hagrid who was pushing a cart loaded with supplies and the cage containing the owl, Harry had a small grin on his face.

"I know you are supposed to be on a schedule to get back to Hogwarts Hagrid, but do I have time to run back into Flourish and Blotts? I promise I won't be long."

Hagrid thought for a moment and then nodded. "Go on with you. I remember my first time going through here. There's always more you want to get and not enough time. Just be quick about it."

Harry surprised Hagrid with a quick squeeze to one of his massive arm and then made a run toward the bookstore. He had to make an apology as he almost ran over a small bushy haired witch coming out with her own large pile of books. Harry didn't need to look too far to get the additional books he wanted – _Famous Witches and Wizards, A History of the Dark Wars, and Hogwarts:A History_. Harry thought that these three books would tell him all about Dumbledore, his new school and this Lord Tom Marvolo Riddle Voldemort. 'Funny middle names that' Harry thought as he and Hagrid had lunch at Paddington station.

Harry was surprised and more than a bit nervous that he had to ride the train by himself to get back to Little Whinging. Hagrid bought him a ticket and helped load his supplies up before he gave him his boarding ticket to get to Hogwarts. Hagrid bid him goodbye and Harry was astonished how quickly the big man disappeared.

Disregarding the stares of his fellow travelers, Harry pulled out one of his new books and began reading it as the train left the station. He wasn't sure about how much the Dursleys would let him read in the month before he left for Hogwarts but Harry intended to get as prepared as he possibly could.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – After the Duel (1st Year)

(A.N. I apologize to anyone that has got the impression that 'May I Ask a Question' is a new story; it is **not! **It is a bunch of scenes scattered throughout the entire series of books where Harry asks questions that could have made a difference in how things turned out. The chapters are not written to lead to somewhere other than Harry's better understanding of things going on around him and some possible changes in the plot. In lieu of my obvious oversight I offer the following what-if.)

The duel at midnight had turned out only to another trick by Draco Malfoy to get Harry and Ron in trouble and to have them caught out of their dorm by Filch and Mrs. Norris. The trouble was that Hermione and Neville had also accompanied them and they all heard Filch. In their rush and scramble to avoid being caught and thereby punished the four had opened a lock door and found out what Dumbledore had cautioned everyone about during the Welcoming Feast. A giant angry three-headed dog had threatened to eat and dismember the foursome and they were lucky to escape with their lives. When they had finally returned to the Gryffindor common rooms, Neville had gone directly to bed but Hermione vented her anger directly at Harry and Ron.

_"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We all could have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."_ (Ch. 9 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Ron had muttered something about how barmy the know-it-all was and fled up the stairs in front of Harry. He was quickly asleep but Harry had more than a few things on his mind. What was that thing and why was the huge dog in such a tiny room inside? What was the dog guarding? What was under the trapdoor that only Hermione had noticed? And WHY did the most logical and smart schoolmate he had, Hermione Granger, insist that there was something worse than being killed? Trying to figure out these questions kept Harry from sleeping almost all night.

The next morning came much too quickly and Ron woke up Harry talking about the wonderful adventure they had had. Harry privately thought it wasn't much of an adventure but more of a warning about not listening to Malfoy and listening to Hermione. He came down to the common room to see Hermione and Neville talking together but they only stared at them before turning and hurrying off to breakfast.

Following along with Ron, Harry ran up and tried apologizing all over again to Hermione and Neville for dragging them into the wild chase and exposure to the deadly creature. Neville seemed to believe Harry's sincerity but Hermione only nodded her head once and continued walking to the Great Hall.

Neville and Hermione sat down together and Harry made a point to sit across from them even if Ron didn't want to get anywhere near the girl. They began eating and Hermione finally broke her silence. "Ron, please keep your mouth closed while you chew or talk. Nobody wants to see that."

"Whazyrpoflegm?" came the garbled reply from the red-head and most people along the Gryffindor table turned away from sight of Ron Weasley's lack of table manners. Harry could see that Hermione wanted to switch seats but there weren't any open spaces nearby. She compromised by pulling out a textbook and setting it up like a shield between her and Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes and tried moving his plate to avoid the possibility of the things that were flying out of Ron's mouth landing in his food. Down the table Harry could see Fred and George just shaking their heads in sadness (or was it disgust?) as they looked at their brother. Harry had an idea. Well, the start of one anyway.

"Excuse me a second" Harry said as he stood. "Official team business." Ron didn't notice as he was trying to get Neville's opinion on which of the three heads on the dog was the biggest or had the sharpest teeth. Harry walked down to where George and Fred were and they spread apart a little bit to let him sit down. Harry got right to the point. "Can't you guys do anything about that? It's downright revolting and quite splendid for putting everyone off their appetite."

"There's an idea Harry…"

"…we'll send little Ronniekins over to eat at the Slytherin table the day of the Quidditch match against them. If they all get sick…"

"…maybe they'll forfeit the match."

"Never happen" Harry said. "If Snape even allowed Ron within five feet of their table, he'd find an 'official' reason to reschedule the match."

"And probably dock you a handful of points Harry" Lee Jordan said from across the table.

"So, seriously guys, why does Ron eat like that?"

The twins looked at each other a little guiltily and Fred (or was it George?) spoke. "Partly our fault, we've been trying to train Ron's reflexes for years for Quidditch by stealing stuff off his plate every chance we get."

"Well you quit doing that!" Harry spoke rather quickly between clenched teeth. "He's in public now."

"Sorry about that. And to get yourself heard at the Weasley table you have to talk loudly and do it quickly. Ron learned to speak by taking the spaces when everybody else was chewing; even if he was chewing myself."

"Aaaargh! That is so wrong. Thanks for the information. I guess I'll try my luck."

Harry walked back to his place and sat down next to Ron. "Hwedzatfror?" Ron said.

Harry grabbed Ron's hand that was holding his forkful of food. And held it. Ron reached for a sausage to try and stuff in into his mouth with his other hand. Harry quickly plucked it out of Ron's hand and threw it upwards. One owl had just dropped off a letter to Daphne Greengrass over at the Slytherin table was the one that grabbed it and ate it out of mid-air.

"Why did you do that Harry?" Ron demanded.

"Because I'm a little hard of hearing with all the people in here talking and I can't hear you when your mouth if full of mush."

"Really?"

"Really."

Hermione peered over the top of her book and smiled at Harry. "I have the same problem too Ronald."

"We've been here how many weeks and this is when you bring it up?"

Harry tried to look embarrassed. "I was hoping I would get used to the noise but I guess not. There's also something else."

"What?"

Harry moved closer and then whispered a few sentences into Ron's ear. To Neville and Hermione's complete surprise, Ron dropped his fork. He looked around the Great Hall and noted all the people that were staring at him. (They were actually staring mostly at Harry but Ron didn't know the difference.) Ron's face whitened and he took a breath.

It was at that point that three owls descended toward the Gryffindor table carrying a package. A long thin package was dropped off into Harry's hands. Harry read the note from Professor McGonagall and then showed it to Ron, Hermione and Neville. Harry had to stop Ron from tearing the wrapping off right there at the table because he was so excited. Ron insisted on going back to the dorms and 'helping' Harry unwrap the Nimbus 2000. He was so excited in fact that he forgot about finishing his breakfast.

Neville and Hermione were both curious to see it too so they joined Ron and Harry in leaving the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy, as per his usual pettiness and timing, tried to get Harry in trouble for having a broom as a first year but Professor Flitwick took two points from the Slytherin for bothering him about something inconsequential. Malfoy stalked away, angry and upset, as Flitwick winked at the four Gryffindors. Harry handed off his 'package' to Ron and said he would be up to his room in a few minutes. "I think Hermione wants to yell at me some more for last night."

"Better you than me" Ron said as he started walking away with Neville in tow. Harry stopped him before he got too far away.

"Ron, if you unwrap that before I get back to the dorm, you won't get to take a spin on it until after the twins graduate."

Ron's eyes bugged out a little bit but he nodded that he understood the threat. Harry watched his two dorm mates until they had climbed out of sight and then turned to Hermione. They stared at each other nervously for a few seconds and then both started speaking.

"Hermione, I'm so – Harry, that was"

Both stopped abruptly and Harry ducked his head a little bit. "Ladies first. I insist."

"I didn't want to yell at you any more Harry but thanks about thinking about a way the two of us could talk by ourselves. Ron is so. So…"

"Yes" Harry said simply.

"That was a great idea about being hard of hearing to Ron. He actually swallowed his food before he talked to you."

Harry cupped a hand around the ear closest to Hermione. "Huh? You said something?"

Hermione actually giggled; something Harry had never heard come out of the studious girl's mouth before. He thought he liked it a lot.

"So can you tell me what you whispered in his ear? It's okay if you don't want to." Hermione looked nervous as if she had somehow overstepped their relative unfamiliarity with one another.

Harry looked around at all the students passing by them and pointed over to the nearest wall. Hermione followed him over to a more private area. "I told him something I heard my aunt tell my cousin as he's starting to go to a new school himself this year. Aunt Petunia told my cousin Dudley that although he was too young and innocent to think about girls 'that' way, the same might not be true for some of his classmates that were female."

Hermione seemed interested by this conversation "And…?"

"She said that some girls our age, whether by design, self-motivation or curiosity might be looking at young lads with the eye to judge whether they might make a possible boyfriend or even husband in the future."

"You told him that?"

"Almost word for word. And I did mention that Millicent Bulstrode seemed to like the way Ron ate now because she was always seating herself so that she could get a good look at him."

Harry watched Hermione Granger stuff a fist in her mouth to stop from laughing out loud. Her face got very red for about ten seconds before she got herself back in control. "That's two things I'll have to tell Lavender and Parvati."

"Please, it may take all of first year Gryffindors to keep Ron's eating habits in check. I'll let Dean, Neville and Seamus know tonight if I can."

"You're pretty smart Mr. Potter."

"I'll accept that compliment from my superior in the knowledge department."

A faint blush came to Hermione's cheeks. "It was nice of you to say that Harry."

"I meant it. But could you use some of those smarts to explain your statement of last night; about you being killed or worse expelled? I didn't quite make sense of it."

"I, I was just upset and worried and tired. I said things backward I'm afraid."

"The Hermione Granger I've observed doesn't make mistakes like that. It was deliberate." Harry saw how nervous she suddenly became and tried to back off. "If you want to I mean; I don't want to be pushy since we're talking so nicely."

Hermione stared at him for a while trying to make a decision. "Okay, I know ghosts are real now so if I had been killed last night by that beast, I would hope I would be able to come back as a ghost and finish at least listening to classes here. I couldn't do that if I was expelled."

"Oh that makes sense if you think about it that way. I'm sorry I've delayed you. You're probably going to the library to revise or work on homework now."

Hermione nodded and Harry waved goodbye. He hadn't taken a step when he felt the robe on his arm grabbed. He looked back to Hermione to see she was chewing on her lower lip in deep thought. "Promise you won't tell anybody what I'm about to say?"

Harry nodded.

"Please, if anybody knows we'll both get made fun of."

Harry crossed his index finger over his heart which seemed to satisfy Hermione. "I fear getting expelled more because this is the first place I've felt at home with other people our age. I'm making friends; a little slower than I hoped but some friends anyway. Lavender and Parvati try to talk to me and I'd miss the friendship I hope I will have with them."

Harry nodded in agreement; he knew exactly how Hermione felt.

"I'd also miss you and Neville and I guess Ron too in his own weird way."

"I'd miss you to Hermione if you were expelled. I think there are a few things we have in common. And… and I think it would be nice if we became better friends to each other. If that's okay with you I mean?"

"That would be nice Harry. I'd really like a good friend here. But you better get going before Ron goes spare up in your dorm."

"You are probably right. As usual. What are you going to do in the library?"

"I was going to research and write that essay for Professor Flitwick."

"I'm probably asking too much but would you like some company and help? Maybe we could work on our essays together?"

Hermione smiled and Harry definitely knew he liked seeing that. "I'll be a while with Ron though.."

"And your new broom." Hermione said with a little tease in it.

"Yes my new broom. And just in case you were wondering, I'm going to send an owl to Gringotts later to have my account manager take money out of my vault to send to Professor McGonagall. I can't just let her pay for an expensive broom like that."

"Do you always try to do the right thing Harry?"

"I try; I don't know enough yet to make good choices all the time but I hope I'm getting better at it."

"Then I'll see you later?"

"Yes and I'll at least get to the library in time so we can walk down to Herbology together. Neither one of us should be walking around alone with Malfoy and his goons on the loose."

"That's for sure. The library can be on the way up to the Gryffindor tower; I can walk with you at least that far if you don't mind going that way."

"Sounds like a plan Miss Granger. Shall we?"

Hermione and Harry walked off down the corridor talking together. Neither one noticed the smile that came to the face of their Head of House and Transfiguration Professor as she watched them go. Professor McGonagall thought two strangers to the magical world would make a great pair of friends after all was said and done.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Quirrell ( end of 1st Year)

_It was indeed like ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, he saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn't feel them - for a moment he could nothing but dark fire - but then he was on the side in the last chamber._

_There was already somebody there – but it wasn't Snape. It was even Voldemort._

_It was Quirrell. _(Ch. 16 & 17 – Sorcerer's Stone)

'Well, this is not what I expected' Harry thought. He stood a little dumbfounded at the sight before him. Quirrell was the one after the Philosopher's Stone!

It was at that moment that DADA teacher noticed him. "A little surprised to see me Mr. Potter and not Snape?"

Harry tried to reply casually. "Not any more. I was suspicious it was him until we got pass the chess game. The dead troll was the giveaway that turned my suspicions away from our Potions Master. You were the one to announce the troll was in Hogwarts at Halloween while Professor Snape had been at the feast for a long time. Who better to know about trolls that a certified professor of Defense?"

"I thought I had done a pretty convincing everyone that p-p-p-poor Pro-fes-Professor Quirrell was a harmless and unassuming nobody. _Incarcerous_!"

Thick ropes sprang from Quirrell's wand and wrapped around Harry from chest to ankles pinning him almost motionless. He could wriggle just a little but he would just end up falling over.

"You've arrived just in time to see my triumph. It concerns this object that Dumbledore left here." Quirrell turned enough for Harry to see him spotlight a familiar object with the light of his wand. The Mirror of Erised! Dumbledore had taken the mirror from the room Harry had found and gazed at it and brought it here to the end of the gaunlet. It must have something to do with the Stone. But Harry had no idea what.

What he did know was that Hermione was rushing back to let Dumbledore know that someone had been after the prized possession of Nicolas Flamel. Harry had to think of and connive some ways to stall for time until the Headmaster arrived. Harry leaned one way and fell over to his left shoulder on the hard stone surface. The sound brought Quirrell out of his contemplation of the Mirror and he turned angrily at the boy. "Can't you even stand on your own two feet? Some hero you are; it must have really been a fluke that the Dark Lord was defeated when he attacked you."

"I was a little too young to remember much. By I have dreams of a green flash and someone screaming."

"That was the killing curse; something you shall experience again when I gain possession of the Philosopher's Stone. The screaming was undoubtedly your filthy mudblood mother begging for her and your life."

Harry squirmed backwards, pushing with his feet, until he could get his head and shoulders up against the first step of the stairs. The few inches of elevation gave him a better view of Quirrell as he paced back in forth of the mirror.

"This has to be the key to getting the Stone." Quirrell said as he touched the mirror with his hands and tapped it with his wand trying to get any type of clue about unlocking its secret.

"So how long have you been partners with Voldemort?" asked Harry.

The wizard turned with a snarl. "How dare you have the gall to even mention his name!"

"You said you were going to kill me anyway. I might as well find out some details."

Quirrell waved his wand at Harry and he found himself levitated up to his feet again. This time instead of trying to maintain his balance he scrunched down as much as the ropes would allow and fell to a slightly painful sitting position on the steps.

"Is Voldemort here in the castle? I can't see him being here when Dumbledore is around. That's why you had to wait until he had to go to the Ministry."

"Silence! That fool knows nothing; my Master has always been here."

"**Ask him… what he … knows of … this artifact."**

Harry shuddered. That nightmare-inducing voice had come from the location Quirrell was standing at but Harry had seen that the professor's mouth had never moved.

"He's here…isn't he? Watching? Wanting? Waiting for you to give him the Stone so he can regain a physical body?"

"My Master is a much stronger wizard than I. But he has suffered long and hard."

A flash of understanding went through Harry. "He was the one in the forest then; the one feeding on unicorn blood. How could you condone that?" Harry felt horrified that Voldemort had resorted to such desperate measures and that Quirrell was a willing servant of his.

"_He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power and only those too weak to seek it…. Since then I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me…decided to keep a closer watch on me…."_ (Ch. 17)

"Then that just proves Voldemort's wrong" Harry said. "It's evil to punish someone just because he reacts like a spoiled child who doesn't get his own way all the time. I've had experience with bullies like that."

"**Silence! You dare mock me?" **The rage in the voice echoed around the chamber and Harry hoped Quirrell wasn't going to be ordered to kill him on the spot. But it seemed that Voldemort had a temper - and a short fuse. Harry wondered if he dared use that to his advantage.

Quirrell turned back to the Mirror. "I can see myself handing over the Stone to my Master and him regaining his body. I see him rewarding me. But how do I get the Stone?"

Harry had muttered things to himself over the years but Quirrell seemed intent on carrying this conversation out loud. Harry wondered if Voldemort was an invisible ghost here in Hogwarts. The plots and dialogues of old late night movies, heard from his cupboard under the stairs, came back to Harry's memories. A horrifying thought came over Harry; the teacher was possessed somehow.

"**Bring the child over here. Maybe he knows the secret."**

The voice again; coming from Quirrell's location. A wave of the teacher's wand and Harry was on his feet, with the ropes falling away. With a wand pointed at him, Harry reluctantly walked in front of the mirror.

"So what do you see boy?"

Harry's teeth clenched; he hated that term over all the other cruel things his Uncle Vernon called him. Boy. A prod to his shoulder caused Harry to look up at the mirror finally. He saw himself; he saw Professor Quirrell. He saw the one thing he most wanted to see in the world at this particular moment in time.

In the mirror Harry saw Headmaster Dumbledore rushing down the steps to confront Quirrell. Harry laughed and cried out "Professor Dumbledore!"

As the DADA teacher and Voldemort started turning, Harry grabbed the wand out of Quirrell's hand and ran away from the Mirror.

"**You fool!"** Voldemort cried out.

"Give me back my wand Potter" the slim professor ordered.

Harry fled to a position of safety as far away as he could get from the Mirror where the stone was. Quirrell was hurrying after him but Harry pointed the stolen wand directly at him. "Care to try your luck? I know what spell caused Voldemort to die before. Do you chance it and loose everything?" Harry hoped his bluff and foolhardy words would stop any further pursuit and it seemed to work. Quirrell stopped a half dozen yards away from Harry and he hoped every second's delay was a second closer Dumbledore was to this awful place.

"**Let me deal with him."**

"_Master, you are not strong enough." _

"_I am strong enough….. for this…"_

Quirrell reached up and started unwrapping his ever present turban from his head. It took about thirty seconds and Harry was mesmerized by the simple but serious action. Quirrell dropped the wrappings where he stood and then slowly turned around. A cry of horror escaped Harry's lips as a face was revealed on the back of Quirrell's head. Red eyes, slits for nostrils and no nose whatsoever; Harry almost passed out from the shock of seeing what Voldemort really looked like.

"**This is what you did to me Potter! This is what you made me into with your impossible survival. But you shall not escape me today. **_**Imperius!**_**"**

Harry felt a pressure in his head, a force underneath the scar on his forehead. A now familiar voice filling his mind, whispering to him. _'Drop the wand. You have no choice in the matter. I command you to obey me! Drop the wand!'_

Scrunching up his eyes to try and block the pressure, Harry raised his hands and pressed them against his temples to try and force the voice and presence out of his head. Voldemort took another step toward him and Harry watched as Quirrell's body backed up two, then three steps.

The voice continued in Harry's head telling him to drop the wand. The pressure built and built until Harry thought he might pass out if he didn't obey. But then somehow Harry heard his own voice, his own conscience telling him that he couldn't give in; that surrendering the wand would only cause him pain and death. Harry didn't like pain and he knew from the stories that a few people told him that inflicting pain was a special hobby of the Dark Lord.

The body of Quirrell/Voldemort was close and had turned so there was a hand reaching out to grab the wand from Harry. Shaking his head, Harry opened his eyes to see the gloating and triumph in the wizard's eyes. Harry did the only thing that came to his mind; he jammed the wand with every bit of force he could muster into Quirrell's stomach! The wizard folded up with a cry of pain and Harry dashed back to the side of the Mirror of Erised with the stolen wand still clutched in his hand.

Voldemort's screams of outrage and revenge echoed around the small room and Harry watched as Quirrell had to brace both hands on the floor to raise himself up. Harry couldn't tell which person was going to face him. Both Quirrell and his counterpart on the back of his head wanted him in their sight. Voldemort won and Quirrell spun around so fast he almost knocked himself over again.

"**You shall pay for that you half-blood mistake. I shall kill you just like I did your poor excuse for parents!"** Voldemort lurched backward as if he was walking but it was more of a stumble as if he had forgotten that Quirrell's limbs were not facing the same way he was.

Harry saw the spittle fly as Voldemort continued to rant and scream at him. His evil façade of a face had gotten very red in contrast to the chalky whiteness Harry had first seen it in. Harry took a step back in reaction and placed his hand on the side of the mirror. Where he got the nerve to speak Harry never understood. "Take another step and I push this over and break the Mirror. You will NEVER get the Stone or a body then."

"**You shall not defy me!"** The face of Voldemort swelled up in anger once again and Quirrell sagged to his knees.

"**Get up you fool. GET UP!**

Quirrell got to one knee and Harry saw the face of Voldemort go beyond evil and mad as he forced his anger out at both the body he was inhabiting and Harry Potter. Quirrell made it to his feet but was reeling where he stood.

"**Get that bo-"**

Just when Harry felt faint from the dread and the tension, another appalling and gruesome sight happened. The face of Voldemort erupted in an explosion of sickly green and red blood and bits of grey skin, bones and brains! Quirrell toppled over and was silent with blood and gore flowing out the missing top and back of his head. Harry bent over and threw up what little was left in his stomach. Harry gasped and tried gaining control of his senses and body's reaction to the sight. Stumbling a few steps away from the mess he had created, Harry fell to his knees and but couldn't look back to the place where Voldemort had…had…

Harry had no explanation for what happened. He remembered what Firenze had told him about the cursed life of anyone who drank unicorn blood and wondered if the curse and time had just caught up with Quirrell and Voldemort. Maybe it was a rare fit of magical apoplexy; it was something Harry might be able to ask Dumbledore about. If he ever had the nerve to try and talk about what had just happened.

Harry heard a sound. It came again and Harry raised up his head and hoped it was Dumbledore's voice calling out his name. But what he saw when he raised his head made Harry's skin crawl all over again. Something was rising from the body of Quirrell. A fog of particles, of smoke, coalesced above the fallen body of his late instructor. It gathered together for a second - floating, seeking – before it gathered itself together and raced around the room.

The ghostly presence fled right through Harry and he grew immeasurably cold and scared. A whisper of an unbearable voice went through Harry's mind before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell unconscious to the dusty floor.

It was a few seconds later that a distraught and apprehensive Dumbledore arrived upon the scene.

(A.N. I could so see this happening with Voldemort's temper. I've often wonder whether it would be Vernon Dursley or Tom Riddle that would out-bluster the other if they ever got into an argument where magic wasn't allowed. It would make a heck of a screaming match I would imagine. )


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The House Elf and the Flying Car (2nd Year)

"_One more sound and you'll wish you had never been born, boy!"_

_Harry's Uncle Vernon stomped flat-flooted from the room._

_Shaking, Harry let Dobby out from the closet._

"_See what's it's like here," he said. "See why I have to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I have – well, I think I've got friends."_

"_Friends that don't even write to Harry Potter?" said Dobby slyly._

"_I expect they've been – wait a minute," said Harry, frowning. "How do you __**know**__ my friends __**haven't **__been writing me?"_

_Dobby shuffled his feet._

"_Harry Potter mustn't be angry at Dobby. Dobby did it for the best-"_

"_**Have you been stopping my letters?"**_

"_Dobby has them right here." Pulling away from Harry's reach, the house elf pulled thick wad of pictures from the inside of the pillowcase he had been wearing. _(Ch. 2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

Instead of demanding his letters, Dobby watched as Harry Potter sank down to his lumpy mattress and began crying. Dobby felt so bad that the great and wonderful Harry Potter was hurting like this. Dobby felt like bashing his head into the wall but that would not explain why Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts.

Harry finally pulled himself together and wiped away his tears as he sat up. "Dobby, my so-called family beats and yells at me every day. The only hope I had of getting through this summer was writing to and from my friends and getting back to school."

Hanging his head Dobby replied with a great deal of emotion in his voice. "Dobby's master and his family do the same to Dobby too."

Harry looked up shocked. "Do you like that Dobby?"

"House elves are treated as house elves. That is our place in life. Some masters are kind and some masters are like mine."

"Do you not have any elf friends Dobby?"

Dobby shook his head so fast that his ears flapped like bat wings taking off.

"May I be your friend Dobby?"

Dobby did start crying at that point. "The great and wonderful wizard Harry Potter asks, asks little house elf Dobby to be his friend? That is too much to believe in Harry sir."

"You can just call me Harry Dobby. You can come and talk to me anytime you can get away from your master and his family."

Dobby fell to his knees sobbing in relief and gratitude. Harry was very careful about patting the little house elf on the shoulder and helping him stand up.

"Dobby, may I talk to you directly as a friend and tell what I'm feeling and thinking?

"It.. it would be a great honor and privilege Harry Potter sir if one so powerful as the powerful wizard would talk so to lowly Dobby, a house elf."

"I miss all my other friends Dobby. Not getting their letters only makes me want to see them more. Can you understand that I need to go back to Hogwarts and have my friends around me? They would help and protect me like you've tried to do."

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts" the house elf repeated sadly.

"But Dobby there are special wards and other types of protection at Hogwarts. And the greatest wizard in the world, Dumbledore, is sworn to protect all the students. Even me."

"_Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir"_ – Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper _–"there are powers Dumbledore doesn't…powers no decent wizard…"_

Harry nodded in understanding. "I already know about how the evilness came be used. I saw it and fought it last year."

Now it was Dobby's turn to be stunned. "You fought…"

"An evil man who was possessed by Vol… err, You-Know-Who!"

"Harry Potter is a great wizard indeed then." Dobby appeared confused about the warning he had been directing at the seemingly small wizard.

"Have you read the letter from my friends Dobby?"

"No, Mister Wheezy's and Miss Grainey's words are for Harry Potter alone. Dobby is no snooper."

Harry smiled in spite of himself. Not matter how he had interfered with his mail, Harry sort of liked the strange house elf. Of course, Harry had never met any house elves so as far as he knew they might all be odd.

"Dobby, I will think about your warning and consider not going back to school."

Harry was surprised at the sheer speed of the little person. Dobby had wrapped himself in a hug around Harry's legs almost before Harry had finished speaking. "It's okay Dobby. I haven't made up my mind yet. I just said I would consider it."

"Dobby will stop Harry Potter from going back to Hogwarts."

"I wish I could tell my friends why I wouldn't return."

"Dobby could tell Harry Potter's Wheezy and Graingey for him."

"It's just not the same as talking to them myself. Dobby do you know where Ron and Hermione live?"

Dobby nodded but then Harry slumped over. "I can't do it. I can't ask a favor of you. You've done enough for me already by warning me that there is danger for me if I go back to Hogwarts."

"What does the great wizard Harry sir want?"

"I could be happy if I could go see my friends. But Dumbledore doesn't want me to leave this house as I'm protected here."

"Dobby could bring your friends here."

"Would you do that for me? I really do miss the both of them. I promise I won't talk to them long but I really need to see them."

Dobby nodded but then spoke. "Harry Potter must make his friends promise to never tell anyone about what Dobby says."

Harry agreed. Dobby took a look around and then snapped his fingers. He disappeared with a small pop and then was back three seconds later with a tall red-haired boy.

"Ron!"

"Hrmpy?" Of course Ron had been in the middle of eating an apple but he dropped it on the floor when he saw what was around him.

"Whrrtym - Where am I? I was eating in my room and then poof – I'm somewhere else. And you're here too."

Harry rushed over and stopped himself from hugging his friend. (Blokes never did that to one another after all.)

"This is my bedroom Ron. Such as it is."

Ron looked around curiously. "This is how muggles live? This looks bad Harry. But how did I get here?"

Harry grabbed Ron by the arm and turned him gently around. "My new friend Dobby brought you. But you have to make a promise you won't tell anyone about him."

Ron was nodding but stopped short when he saw Dobby. "You - you have a house elf? Why haven't you written me or Hermione back all summer? What's been going on?"

"I don't have a house elf; I have a new friend. Calm down Ron and I will tell you. But you have to give me a wizard's oath you won't tell anyone – not even your parents."

"Is it about You-Know-Who?"

"Maybe; I'm not really sure. But the oath first or Dobby will take you right back to the Burrow."

Ron was confused but knew enough about Wizard's Oaths from the twins to make one to Harry promising he would never tell anyone else what Harry was going to tell him.

When Ron's wand glowed, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Harry sat Ron down in his only chair, the one with one leg two inches shorter than the others, and explained how his summer had gone and what Dobby had told him about. And the warning! Harry grabbed Ron from attacking the house elf to get more information out of him.

"Ron. Stop. He came here out of his own concern to tell me that there may be a danger for me going back to Hogwarts."

"Just tell Dumbledore!"

Harry looked at Dobby and then shook his head. "I can't; it might come out and then Dobby might be in real danger if it got back to his master."

"So you're really not going back then?"

"I don't know. I don't want to go through what we went through last year all over again. Or worse!"

"Something like being killed or expelled?" Harry chuckled even as Dobby jumped up from the bed in surprise.

"I have to think about it Ron but you deserved an explanation either way."

"Harry Potter's friend Wheezy must go home now. Remember your promise; do not tell anyone you have talked about."

"Okay Harry, I'll-" Whatever Ron had been about to say stopped as he and Dobby disappeared.

Harry sat down in the chair and thought. What was he going to do? How could he not go back to Hogwarts?

There was another pop and Harry jumped up from his seat to ask Dobby another question. But Dobby had not come back alone. He had brought back Hermione. Harry's joy of seeing her was suddenly replaced with shock and a lot of embarrassment. He spun around quickly to face the wall as Hermione sputtered…. and dripped. It was kind of obvious that the young witch had been swimming somewhere when Dobby had transported her. She was wearing a swimsuit. A bright yellow swimsuit, a two piece bright yellow swimsuit!

"Harry? Harry is this YOUR room? How did I get here?"

Harry grabbed the threadbare blanket off his bed and closed his eyes before he turned around.

"Harry?"

"Hermione, you're… you're not…" Harry extended his hand out holding the blanket. He felt the thin blanket plucked from his hand and kept his eyes closed until he was given permission to open them. Harry peaked out slowly and was relieved to see that Hermione had wrapped herself up and was sitting in the chair Ron had just vacated a few minutes before.

"Before you go raising your voice Hermione, you have to be quiet. Uncle Vernon is looking for any excuse to come up here and… and punish me for disrupting his meeting with a very important client."

"They punish you?!"

"Shhh!" Harry could barely stop himself from clapping a hand over Hermione's mouth. What he ended up doing was coming to sit right at her feet and trying to explain. And hope his red face wouldn't give away he saw that the blanket had shifted a bit and exposed a bit of Hermione's previously unseen calves.

It took about five minutes for Harry to calm the witch down and start the tale he had told Ron. She had looked at Dobby strangely but he would not answer any of the questions she had for him. Hermione stopped Harry at one point and protested she couldn't give a wizard's oath as she didn't have a wand. They both looked over to the house elf. Dobby stared at both of them and then snapped his fingers again.

Both Harry's and Hermione's wands appeared in their hands and Harry was very glad to get his wand back. His Uncle Vernon had locked all of his school stuff up in the cupboard under the stairs when he had got home at the beginning of summer.

Hermione had stood up and Harry had to look away as she made her oath; the blanket had fallen from her shoulders and Harry just couldn't look at the exposed skin. She gave a little ''Hrrumph boys" at him when she replaced the blanket around her shoulders and went to go sit on Harry's bed. She sat down, frowned at the mattress and then patted the space beside her. "I'm not going to bite you for Merlin's sake. Tell me what's going on."

Harry reluctantly sat down beside Hermione and stared at the wall as he repeated how his summer had gone, why he hadn't been able to write her back and what Dobby had told him.

Hermione's anxiety had risen the longer she had listened to Harry and she began chewing on her lower lip. Harry knew that meant she was thinking and thinking hard.

"We must tell…"

"Can't!"

"But Harry, you can't not go back to school."

"You know what happened last year; Dobby says something else will happen this year."

"That's so wrong. You shouldn't be a target again Harry."

Harry suddenly thought of another question to ask his new short friend. "Dobby, am I the only target for this danger that is coming?"

Dobby shook his head no.

"Oh wonderful. Can you tell me who else is in danger?"

Dobby again responded negatively and Harry placed his arm on Hermione's to stop her from rounding on the house elf. "It's okay Hermione; he simply can't betray his master. It may cause him to die or something."

"That's barbaric!"

"And so's his master" Harry said quietly. Hermione smiled at the care Harry had for this being that had barged into his life so abruptly.

"Anyway Dobby agreed I could tell you what happened and why I might not come back to school."

"But… Harry…"

"As much as I like seeing and talking to you I think it's time for you to go home Hermione. You don't your parents to discover you've been missing."

"You're right Harry."

"One for my side then" Harry said a little sadly.

"I guess I'm ready to go home now Dobby." Hermione stood up as Dobby walked over to stand at Harry's bedside. Hermione rose and then dragged Harry to his feet. "I'm going to miss you."

"It'll be okay Hermione. Things will work out eventually."

Hermione bit her lip and Harry was surprised what she did next. She shrugged off the blanket and grabbed Harry in a big hug. Harry was speechless; a half-naked girl was hugging him! And he sort of like it coming from Hermione even if it was totally unexpected.

"I'll think about this every day Harry. There must be something we can do."

Harry nodded. He didn't know what to say back to her.

"What's your aunt and uncle's phone number?"

Harry was too surprised at the question not to give her the information. Hermione squeezed him once again and then let him go.

"You won't stop me from talking to Harry will you Dobby?" Hermione was very quiet and sincere as she addressed the house elf. Dobby just silently shook his head again. "Dobby will trust you like Harry Potter trusts you to keep the secret."

Harry felt a little bit of hope come back into his life. He thought Hermione could figure this out.

The young witch stepped away from the bed and held out her hand for the house elf. She looked up and smiled shyly at Harry. "I'm glad it was you instead of Ron that saw me in my swimsuit Harry. I'll call you soon."

The two disappear and Harry sat down totally gobsmacked by the afternoon's events and what Hermione had just said to him. And how she looked!

Xxxx xxx

The letter from the Improper Use of Magic office had really set Harry's Uncle Vernon off. He swore Harry wouldn't return to Hogwarts and even had iron bars fastened across his window to keep Harry from escaping that way, Harry had been surprised and relieved when he found out that Dobby had moved his trunk from the locked cupboard under the stairs to the closet in Dudley's second bedroom. Harry at least could read a little as he was locked in.

Harry was surprised when his aunt let him out of his locked room the next day to answer the telephone saying he had received a call. Dudley was shocked that Harry even knew a girl and made many snide and rude remarks while Harry was conversing with Hermione. He really couldn't say a lot as he was being watched and listened to very intently. He hoped Hermione understood his part of the conversation as he whispered that his relatives were right there beside him. Harry could only spend a few minutes on the phone before Aunt Petunia ripped it out of his hand and told his friend not to call again. Harry was very upset and lonely when he was locked back in his room again.

It was three days later that something truly miraculous and magical had happened. The decision of going back to Hogwarts or not was answered by a flying car of all things! The twins and Ron had appeared outside his window in the old Ford Anglia and rescued him by pulling the bars off the window and getting him, his trunk and Hedwig away from 4 Privet Drive for the rest of the summer.

They had flown Harry to another incredible place – The Burrow. The slightly oddly constructed home of the Weasley family. Harry had been more than glad to get to know the Weasley family – even the shy and slightly odd Ginny who was extremely nervous or star-struck around him.

Harry had an adventure filled day shopping for his new school books as he mis-flooed to a really awful second-hand dark wizarding junk shop in Knockturn Alley where he heard some very interesting things said by Draco Malfoy and his father. Luckily he ran into Hagrid who escorted him back to the nearby Diagon Alley where he reconnected with the Weasleys. Then there came the embarrassment of being pulled out of line by a famous and fame-seeking Gilderoy Lockhart who was to be their new Defense teacher. Harry wanted none of the limelight but had his picture taken anyway with the author and world-renowned wizard for the front page of the _Daily Prophet_.

Which had immediately changed into another confrontation with Draco Malfoy who was only slightly more insulting to Harry and the Weasleys than his father Lucius had been. Everyone made their way back to the Burrow where Harry had enjoyed a few more days as a guest and observer of a loving magical family.

That had led to this morning's trip to King's Cross in the same small magical car. Mr. Weasley had explained to Harry that there were special expansion charms on the boot and the back seat for everyone to put their trunks and themselves into the car. Because of numerous delays in leaving they had only arrived at Kings Cross with a few minutes to spare to catch the Express. Everyone else had run through the magical barrier to get to Platform 9¾ before Harry and Ron. They tried to get through but the portal but it suddenly turned back into a brick wall as they got there. They crashed their trolleys (rather spectacularly) and spilled their trunks and other belongings all over the floor and creating a scene that all the muggles around them noticed.

Harry and Ron quickly gathered up their things even as the clock on the wall counted down the seconds until 11 AM. Then both boys realized that the Hogwarts Express had left without them. And Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were nowhere in sight and both had no idea what they were supposed to do now

_Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier._

"_Can't hear a thing" he said tensely. "What're we going to do? I don't know how long it will take Mum and Dad to get back to us."_

_They looked around. People were still watching them, mostly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches._

"_I think we ought to go and wait by the car" Harry said. "We're attracting too much atten-"_

"_Harry!" Ron said, his eyes gleaming. "The car!"_

"_What about it?"_

"_We can fly the car to Hogwarts!" _(Ch. 5, CoS)

"Ron, No!"

"Why? I've watched Dad and the twins drive and Dad explained to me how the car works. We could just follow the train."

"Ron – do you even have the key?"

"What key?"

"The key. The key to the car."

"We need a key?"

Harry dropped his head. This was going to be a difficult explanation. Ron was convinced they could take the car all the way to Scotland by following the Hogwarts Express. Harry had felt lucky that the battered old Anglia had held together long enough to get to King's Cross.

"Ron, do you remember when the twins and you rescued me?"

"Just like yesterday."

"What did Mrs. Weasley do when we all came back to the Burrow?"

"Uh-oh. That wasn't good was it?"

"And what do you think you're Mum and Dad will do when they find the car gone? Along with us?"

"Bad. But we're in trouble, we're going to miss the Welcoming Feast. We might get expelled!"

"We might be in trouble with the Headmaster but this probably has happened before. Don't you think?"

"Maybe."

"So if we 'borrow' the car we might be in trouble with the headmaster AND your parents?"

Ron's face fell. "That would be very, very, very bad."

"All we can do is explain what happened to your Mum and Dad. That the entranceway closed up. Somebody else must have noticed."

"But Harry…"

"Ron, we could get lost. Doesn't the train have some sort of spell to keep anyone from seeing it when it's moving?"

"I never thought of that Harry. We're doomed!"

Harry laughed. "We may be in trouble but I hardly think we're doomed. Let's go back to the car and wait. Your Mum and Dad may already be there."

"Ack. What if they've left too?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "They haven't come this way. Let's go back to the car with our trolleys."

The two boys pushed their trolleys back outside and waited near the car. Luckily, Harry had calmed Hedwig down by this time and they weren't nearly as noticeable for the muggles around them.

It was ten minutes later when Harry and Ron saw his parents rush out of the station.

"Why are you here?" Mrs. Weasley asked them when she got close.

"Mum it was… Mrs Weasley we couldn't…"

Mr. Weasley held up his hand. "One at a time, one at a time. Ron?"

"The portal closed up and we couldn't get through."

"We ran right into the bricks and dumped our stuff all over everywhere" Harry said. "The train left and we couldn't get though."

"Okay, okay. We believe you. We couldn't get back out either to check on you."

Both Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief. All they had to do now was get to Hogwarts. Somehow.

"Are we in trouble Mr. Weasley?"

"I'm not sure Harry. I think we should leave that decision up to the headmaster. He'll decide after he listens to your story. Molly?"

"Yes Arthur?"

"The Leaky Cauldron?"

"That would probably be the easiest. Okay boys, load your things back in the car again."

The two boys rushed to comply with Ron's mother and were soon sitting in the back seat by themselves as the Anglia left the train station.

"So where are we going exactly?" Harry asked.

"We going to the Leaky Cauldron. If I can remember how to get there. Driving is so much different than walking."

Mrs. Weasley turned in her seat to face the boys. "We'll use their floo to go to Hogsmeade and then walk up to the castle."

"Oh, that seems so simple when you say it like that."

"Always try not to panic Ron, Harry if you're in a strange and difficult situation. It could keep you from making a fatal mistake."

Ron mouthed 'fatal?' at Harry and both boy's eyes grew wide at the implication.

"Are you coming too Mr. Weasley?"

"I might as well. I can talk to Dumbledore while you two and Molly try to find McGonagall."

"There's a scary thought by itself" Ron muttered.

Harry smiled. He'd much rather face his Head of House and the Headmaster any day instead of taking a chance on something Mr. Weasley had fixed up. Harry's grin faded as he suddenly thought of using the floo again

'Oh no! Here we go again' Harry thought as he suddenly saw the sign for The Leaky Cauldron ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – The Quidditch Practice

Harry wondered why he hadn't seen this coming. Of course there would be a problem for the first scheduled practice of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They had just barely gotten into the air after a confusing talk from Oliver Wood when a group of Slytherin players walked out onto the pitch and made ready to mount up on their brooms. The Gryffindor team landed immediately and followed Wood as he approached the Slytherins.

**[[ **"Flint! Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got especially early! You can clear off now!"

Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

Angelina, Alicia and Katie had come over too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.

"But I booked the whole field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. _"I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker."_

"You've got a new Seeker," said Wood distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.

Flint smiled even broader if that was possible. "Let me show you the generous gift that Mr. Malfoy has made to the Slytherin team."

All seven of the Slytherins held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling out the words _Nimbus Two Thousand and One_ gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the morning sun. (Ch. 7, HP and the CoS) **]]**

The Gryffindors were all angry and upset; both the intrusion and the obvious bribe to get Draco on the team. Ron and Hermione had come over to the confrontation after they saw Harry and the others land. Harry saw Colin Creevy rush down from the stands and hurry back toward school. Ron asked what the Slytherin team was doing there and Draco gloated over his new appointment and the fine gifts his father had given _his_ team.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to _buy_ their way in," said Hermione. "_They_ got in on pure talent."

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," Malfoy spat out as he shook his broom toward her.

The rest of the Gryffindor team gasped in horror while the Slytherins all laughed at Hermione. Harry didn't know exactly what it meant but he did recognize a terrible insult when he heard it after living with the Dursleys for so long. As the Snakes turned and congratulated Draco and themselves for getting back at the lowly muggleborn witch, Harry decided to do something in retaliation.

"_Accio Broom_!" Harry's spell caught Draco by surprised and Harry nonchalantly caught his broom as it was summoned to him.

"Give that back Potter!"

"But you were just so proud to show it off to us a few seconds ago. Surely you can't be upset that I'd want to take a closer look at it? Seeing as you're supposed to be flying rings around me once we get to the sky."

Draco was almost foaming at the mouth. He pulled his wand out from his robes and pointed it at his nemesis. "You give that back here. I don't want your filthy half-blood hands soiling my new broom."

"Don't you mean your father's new broom? He's the one that bought all these right. Hey Ron, take a look at this."

Harry launched the 2001 over his shoulder to where he knew his friend was standing. Not doubting Ron's ability to catch it out of midair, Harry instead watched Draco's face as his mouth dropped open in shock as he saw his new prized possession fly out in mid-air.

"Expelliarmus!" Another spell shot out of Harry's wand and it was another second before Draco was totally unhanded. No broom, no wand!

"What do you think you're doing Potter?" Flint yelled as he pulled his own wand out. Fred and George immediately stepped in front of Harry with their wands held out, protecting him.

"Don't get your nargles in a blender" Harry answered back. The Slytherins stopped and you could almost see them trying to make sense out of what the Gryffindor Seeker had just said. It stopped any further escalation of retaliation in Harry's direction. Harry was suddenly glad that he had spent a few minutes with Ginny and her close friend Luna on the Express and during a few minutes free time in the Hogwarts library. Confusion for confusion's sake was certainly a different method of operating.

"I would think you would thank me for what I've just done for your team Flint," Harry said.

"What?" almost screamed out Marcus Flint.

"Didn't you want to find out what kind of reflexes your new Seeker has? I thought that would be a nice gesture on my part. Here Malfoy."

Harry threw the wand he had summoned back at Malfoy making sure that it was just wide enough that Draco had to move to catch it. As Harry expected, Malfoy was not prepared and tripped over his own feet in the lunge to catch the wand that went right by him. The Gryffindors (including Hermione) all broke up laughing and the rest of the Slytherin team looked a little embarrassed at the young wizard's coordination (or lack thereof).

Ron walked past Harry and went halfway between the two lines of teams to lay Malfoy's Nimbus down. "I'd throw it to you Malfoy but I wasn't sure if you would hurt yourself with it or not."

That brought a further smile to Harry and his teammates and Harry saw Hermione give Ron's shoulder a pat as he went back to stand by her.

"My father will hear of this Potter!" Draco was almost spitting mad.

"I'm surprised he hasn't heard of this already. Malfoy's certainly shouting loud enough" Fred (or was it George?) said in a barely disguised stage whisper.

Draco's wand shifted to the twin and one of his new teammates pushed his wand arm down and pointed to where the broom was lying on the field. Draco sullenly went to get it; his eyes never left Harry's face. Seeing as the spot of entertainment was over, the Slytherin team started heading to the field again. This meant that they would have to go around or force their way through where the Gryffindors stood.

Not trusting that further fights weren't going to erupt, Harry called out again. "Mr. Flint, a question if I may?"

Flint held up his hand halting the advance of the green-robed team. "What is it now Potter?"

"I was just wondering. The supposed note from Professor Snape, which you have yet to show us, says you have permission to use the Quidditch field today. Right?"

Flint frown and pulled a folded piece of parchment from a pocket of his robes and thrust it out at Wood. "Here it is if you don't believe me Potter."

"I never said I didn't believe you; I just stated that I hadn't seen the note yet. I see it now and am glad you aren't trying to put one over on us. Does the part about using the pitch today mean the whole day, or just part of the day?"

"Whatever we need to train our new member."

"So you don't necessarily need to be actually out here now do you? You have any part of the day to use this field. So you decided to just chuck us out just to annoy us and keep us from practicing?"

"Hey, that's right Harry!" Wood said. "Come back when we're finished then Flint."

The Slytherin team looked like they were about to throw their brooms down and hex their opponents. They did realize however that they were slightly outnumbered with Ron, Hermione and the now growing crowd of Gryffindors that had come down to watch their team practice.

"We have the note from Professor Snape that gives us the right to use this field whenever we want" Flint growled out.

"I don't think so" Harry said slowly.

"That's five points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a prefect Potter." Flint's smile was slightly scary as he looked around at his teammates.

Harry wasn't done though. "I'm pretty sure you can't do that either Mr. Flint. Hermione, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't prefects loose their privileges to award or deduct house points while they are in their Quidditch uniforms? It precludes them from punishing opponents unfairly."

"That's right Harry" answered the girl. "It's in the Prefects Handbook."

"How do _you_ know what's in the Prefect's Handbook?" one of the Slytherins asked.

"It's in the library so that everyone can read what the Prefects can award or deduct house points for" Hermione said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Don't you all know that?"

"We're still practicing now!" Draco shouted out.

"Are you sure of that Malfoy?" Harry asked. He knew he was baiting the obnoxious Slytherin but he wouldn't let the insult against his friend Hermione go unchallenged.

"The note from Professor Snape gives us the right to be where we want and when we want." Harry almost hoped the purple face on Flint reflected an oncoming stroke but he knew he wouldn't be so lucky. It had never worked with Uncle Vernon despite the few times Harry had wished for a break from the torture he endured.

"So why does anyone, especially you seven fine upstanding students, think that Professor Snape _**outranks**_ Professor McGonagall?"

"**What?**"

There were gasps from almost everyone on the field from Harry's question. The only one that didn't have their mouth open in shock was Hermione who gave Harry a small smile and a nod of her head when he glanced at her. The Slytherins were totally gobsmacked that anyone would dare ask such an outrageous question. The Gryffindors were all wondering if Harry had totally lost his senses or, alternatively, had the stones to confront the Slytherins with such an astonishing query.

After a few moments of shock Captain Flint did scream out a very foul insult and started rushing at Harry. He braced himself for the inevitable beating but just as Flint launched himself at Harry a loud voice came from behind them.

"**Petrificus Totalus!"**

Harry looked around as Flint was caught up the full-body bind and fell at Harry's feet. Rushing down toward the field was Madame Hooch with Colin Creevey struggling to keep up after her.

"What is the meaning of this?" the flying instructor asked to everyone. Everyone started talking at once but Harry turned and listened as Colin gasped out that he had went and brought back the first teacher he had come across as he knew that there would be a confrontation with the Slytherins.

"Silence! I will talk to the captains who should have maintained order here."

Madame Hooch bent over the stiff figure of Marcus Wood who was grunting rather impressively from his horizontal position. "I will release the spell on you Mr. Flint but you will respond to my questions in a civil manner or you will find yourself suspended for the next game. You have already loss 5 points for attacking a fellow student. Do you agree?"

A grunted reply was the only response and Madame Hooch cancelled the spell on Flint and hauled him to his feet. (Not in itself a small thing as Flint outweighed the diminutive witch by about 4 or 6 stone.) She pulled Flint and Wood aside as the two teams huddled up amongst themselves.

Harry went over and shook Colin's hand as he received pats on the back from the twins and hugs from the three female chasers and Hermione. Colin's face was so red by the time that he finished the hugs that Ron proposed that Colin had met the requirements of becoming an honorary Weasley. Colin didn't appear that he could be any happier whatsoever.

Meanwhile back in the huddle with the two Captains, Madame Hooch had almost finished her stern berating on the behavior of the two teams and the Slytherin leader especially. "Now tell me how all this started" she finally said.

"We were—They wouldn't.." both boys shouted out.

"Stop! Mr. Wood, you go first."

"We were in the middle of our _'scheduled'_ practice when they barged onto the field and try to kick us off."

"Mr. Flint – your side?"

"We have this letter from Professor Snape, our sponsor to train our seeker and have the field."

"For Today!" ground out Wood, trying to control his temper.

"Let me see this note" Madam Hooch demanded.

Flint produced the crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and gave it to the person that refereed all the school matches. She read it and handed it back to the bigger flier.

"That is all right and proper but nowhere in that permission slip does it say that you may usurp the Gryffindor's practice."

"But Madame Hooch we have to train Malfoy as he's our new seeker" Flint argued.

"And there are a number of hours left in today that you can do that; so you will take you team off the pitch Mr. Flint."

"But…"

"Three more points from Slytherin for arguing with an instructor … and disregarding the written rules."

"What rules Madame Hooch?"

Madame Hooch sighed. "I knew I should have reviewed some things with you at the end of last year Mr. Wood. The winner of the Quidditch cup always has first say on when they practice over the other teams. A factor Mr. Flint here has conveniently forgotten but used to his own advantage for many years in the past."

Flint flinched at the words but Wood got a strange gleam in his eye as he thanked Madam Hooch for the information.

"You will take your team from the field Mr. Flint and Mr. Wood - you may have an extra half hour of practice to make up from the time you loss with the disruption."

"But Potter insulted our Head of House. What about that Madame Hooch?"

"Go back to your teams and standby. Mr. Potter – front and center!"

Harry passed Oliver Wood on his way to report to Madame Hooch and Wood gave him an encouraging nod. Harry went and stood a little nervously in front of the instructor.

"Flint, excuse me, Mr. Flint says you insulted Professor Snape. Is that true?"

"No Madame Hooch. I merely asked Flint and the rest of his team why they automatically thought that Professor Snape outranked Professor McGonagall. That's when he attacked me; you saw it. I made no hostile move nor raised my wand. Besides Malfoy and his team called Miss Granger…"

"Called Miss Granger…?"

"Called her a…. mudblood Madame Hooch. I wouldn't, couldn't take that but I never made an insult about Professor Snape directly.

Madame Hooch shook her head. "That's three points from Gryffindor for Potter antagonizing a whole Quidditch team!" she said that rather loudly so the green-robes could hear that and celebrate just a little.

Madame Hooch then shuffled sideways so the Slytherins couldn't see her mouth. She lowered her voice. "And take five points for being loyal to a friend Mr. Potter. You know this could have ended much worse, don't you?"

"Yes ma'am and I'm sorry for letting this get so out of hand."

"We encourage questions Mr. Potter but you have to become aware of what form some of the answers may take."

"Yes Madame Hooch; I'll try to think of the consequences before I open my big mouth the next time."

"Don't worry about that Mr. Potter. Some questions begged to be asked and should be asked to clear the air. Your House Head outranks Professor Snape in matters of school hierarchy and policy but in regards to the Quidditch teams they are even. I will try to make Mr. Flint and his colleges aware of that as I send them back to the school."

"Thank you Madame Hooch."

"Back to your team and practice then Mr. Potter. Please send Miss Spinnet back over here for a question or two if you would."

"Yes ma'am!" Harry rushed back to take his broom from Ron who had been holding it for him and told Alicia that Madame Hooch wanted to see her for a moment. She hurried over to Madame Hooch's spot as Harry mounted up and took to the skies with the rest of the team. He made a lap of the pitch and hovered next to Oliver Wood as they watched Hooch and Alicia talk for a few moments. Alicia mounted her broom and launched upwards while Madame Hooch went over to where the Slytherin team was still glaring upwards at the two Gryffindors.

Whatever Madame Hooch had to say to the Slytherin team had them staring at her and Malfoy voluntarily throwing his broom down in disgust.

"Methinks their Seeker has received some more detentions" Wood quietly said next to Harry.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer bloke in my estimation" Harry said back.

Both watched until Malfoy picked up his broom and the Slytherin team left the area. Harry noticed that they were both arguing amongst themselves and glaring back at him when they thought no one was looking at them.

Madame Hooch watched them leave and then surprisingly joined the students in the stands. She waved up at the team and then circled her index finger as if telling them to get on with it.

Wood clapped Harry on the shoulder so hard that it almost knocked him off his broom. "We'd best get to our practice then Potter. The Snakes will be out for both our heads when we meet them again. I suspect more than a few students will congratulate you for taking their team down a notch and lowering Professor Snape's position of invincibility."

Harry turned his broom sideways and rocketed down the field, He heard the clapping and shouts that came from the stands as the fliers took up their formations and wondered when Malfoy or Snape would try to exact their revenge.

'All over a few simple questions' he thought. A bludger went by Harry's head and he looked down to see the twins saluting him with their beater bats. Harry laughed and then turned to dive-bomb the pair.

Back to a normal practice.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – The Semi-Late Mrs. Norris

They had been coming back from Sir Nicholas' Death Day party when Harry heard that same cold, murderous voice that he had heard once before. This time Harry could sort of follow it even if Ron and Hermione couldn't hear it at all. It seemed to be travelling through the very walls of the castle.

Harry left the other two scrambling to catch up as he hurried up the stairs up to the entry hall and then up to the first floor. Harry was still running hard to catch up to the voice and had traversed most of the second floor before arriving at a dead end corridor where he finally lost track of the voice. Ron and Hermione were both gasping for breath when they finally caught up to him.

It was in that short dead end that they found two disturbing things. The first was a set of foot-high letters on the wall that appeared to be written in blood that dripped and ran over a large puddle of water.

**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. **(Ch. 8, Harry Potter and the COS)

Although that message was creepy enough, the second thing the three had discovered had really shocked them. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from one of the torch brackets. She was as stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring. Before any of the three could recover from their surprise, a great number of students had appeared from the Halloween Feast in the Great Hall and had trapped Harry, Ron and Hermione at the scene. The students had stopped in horror at the sight of the frozen cat and writing; it was of course Draco Malfoy's voice that broke the silence.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware. You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Harry swung around as he heard the glee in the voice of the Slytherin second year and swung his wand up and held it out toward the second year git.

"And how come you are so far away from your usual hole in the Dungeons Malfoy? Come back to survey the damage _you caused_?"

Malfoy sputtered and his face got red. "How dare you Potter? No half-blood tries to frame me; I'm free to go anywhere I choose."

"So where are your bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle?" Hermione asked.

Malfoy looked around and saw that his two slabs of muscle hadn't made their appearance to back him up. He tried slipping back into the crowd of students but they were too tightly packed for him to retreat or the two other Slytherins to come forward. 'They, of course, could still be stuffing their faces at the feast' Harry thought.

"Let me ask you this _Mr. Malfoy_. You are aware that you are surrounded by Gryffindors and Ravenclaws there, aren't you Malfoy? Who do you think they'll choose as the most likely to have caused this – me or you?"

Everyone backed a few steps away from the thin Slytherin and Malfoy looked around for a method to escape the suspicious crowd. It was just then that Argus Filch shouldered his way upon the scene. He almost tumbled over in absolute horror as he saw his companion.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And then his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat. You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll- (Ch. 9, CoS)

Ron and Hermione had quickly moved to place themselves between Harry and the school caretaker but Filch was brought back out of his rage by a shout from Dumbledore. As other teacher's arrived, Dumbledore went and examined the cat. With Lockhart blithering on as to the exact spell that had been used, it was a very disheartened Harry Potter that conversed quietly with his friends. It came as a complete surprise to everyone when Dumbledore announced that Mrs. Norris wasn't actually dead.

While some of the other teacher's dispersed the crowd, Dumbledore carried the cat to Lockhart's office, which was the closest to them. The three Gryffindor students were told to follow Filch, Lockhart, Snape and McGonagall there.

"She's just petrified" Dumbledore said. "But I don't know how."

"Ask him!" Filch said pointing at Harry.

"I didn't do it" Harry protested.

"I don't think a second year, even as one as talented as Mr. Potter, could cast a spell so horrific" Professor McGonagall stated.

"This is Dark Magic; advanced Dark Magic" Dumbledore stated.

"Professor Dumbledore, excuse me but isn't there a way to tell what kind of spell was last cast from anybody's wand? I'll volunteer to have mine checked."

"A marvelous suggestion Harry. If you will hand over your wand?"

With Filch and Professor Snape staring daggers at him, Harry handed his wand over to Professor McGonagall. She brought it over to Dumbledore who made a few strange waves with his own wand over it.

"_Priori Incantato."_ Harry's wand emitted a faint beam of bluish light which Dumbledore identified as a tickling charm. Harry ducked his head at the glare he received from Hermione for the mock combat that the second year boy's dorm had held the night before.

"Harry's last spell wasn't what hit Mrs. Norris" Dumbledore declared.

Filch was still staring at Harry. "I know it was him. He's getting back at me. He found out I was taking a… a magical correspondence course. He wanted to get back at me for yelling at him."

Harry frowned. "I don't care about your course. And I'm certainly not the only student that might be holding a grudge against you Mr. Filch. Professor Snape?"

"What Mr. Potter?"

"As reluctant as I am to ask you a favor…. Would you please tell Mr. Filch the degree of difficulty of such a spell that would cause this petrification and whether you think I'm capable of that?"

Professor Snape had an ever sourer look on his face than normal but finally huffed just a smidge and spoke. "The spell that caused this could only be cast by a very experienced wizard. Mr. Potter is certainly not that as he has never displayed the skill, knowledge or power that could do this."

Filch rocked back, still in anguish. "But he was there. He had to have done it."

Dumbledore turned to Harry's companions. "Mr. Weasley, perhaps you could relate what happened to you three this evening?"

Ron looked surprised that the Headmaster had called on him and tried to answer honestly. "We were just coming back from Sir Nicholas' Death Day Party. Harry never was out of our sight; he had just gone on a little ahead of us. He had no time to cast a spell like that. Even Hermione doesn't know a spell like that."

Hermione tried not rolling her eyes and getting mad at Ron for even bringing her name into this bit of conversation. Dumbledore just smiled over at her and winked.

"Perhaps Mr. Filch, you should take Mrs. Norris to the infirmary and let Madame Pomfrey try to make your cat a little more comfortable for the time being."

Filch was still very convinced that Harry had to be the guilty party but he lovingly picked up his cat and was accompanied by Professor Lockhart as they went to the Medical Wing.

"I think it is time for you three to get back to the Gryffindor dorms" Professor McGonagall said.

Hermione had been chewing on her lip since they had reached the DADA office. She finally raised a tentative hand. "Could someone please tell me what the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"Otherwise she'll keep herself awake trying to figure that out Headmaster" Harry said with a small smirk. The only thing that prevented Hermione from slapping her friend was the presence of the teachers.

The Headmaster shook his head sadly. "Perhaps we should get used to answering that question as the tale will certainly be on everyone's mind tomorrow."

McGonagall tightened her lips but Dumbledore nodded at her to explain. "The Chamber of Secrets is one of the historical legends of the school Miss Granger. Salazar Slytherin supposedly left a hidden place and a monster of some type to protect the school. No one has ever found such a place or seen any such monster. There were however some unfortunate incidences about 50 years ago that included a murder and were blamed on the monster and the Chamber."

Harry and the others blanched at this tidbit of news and Harry had a million questions he wanted to ask. The frightened look on Hermione's face drove most of them from Harry's mind and he just pointed to the exit. The three students were more than glad to get out of the office but Harry had a thought that he needed to express. "Sir?" Harry asked to Dumbledore. "All those students heard Mr. Filch and Malfoy accuse me of hexing Mrs. Norris."

"I shall speak to everyone at breakfast Mr. Potter and let them know that our investigation cleared you of any wrongdoing." Snape snorted lightly at that but Harry wasn't going to respond to the Potions Professor's snideness.

"Thank you sir. I appreciate that."

The three made their way to the door of Lockhart's office but Ron spoke louder than he needed to when he asked Hermione "So how do you unpetrify a cat?"

"Mr. Weasley?" Ron flinched and froze in place when he realized that his question had not only been overheard but the headmaster himself was responding.

The two wizards and witch stopped in the doorway of Lockhart's office and looked back to the Headmaster. "Mandrake root is a powerful restorative. A potion containing mandrake root is commonly used to counteract the effects of a Transfiguration or curse on a person."

"And we're growing some Mandrakes in Herbology class" Hermione volunteered.

"Then it won't be too long until Mrs. Norris will be restored" Harry guessed.

"Only mature roots can be used Mr. Potter so it will be many months before we can even begin brewing the antidote."

Harry frowned at Professor Snape's statement. "There is none in stock or waiting to be mixed?"

"Mandrake roots are hard to come by and very expensive" Professor Snape said.

Harry looked confused. "And there isn't a need for them at a school where wizards and witches are trying spells of different types for the first time?"

"That is why we have teachers Mr. Potter. To keep dunderheads like you from trying spells above their abilities."

McGonagall looked at her fellow professor as if wanting to say something against the obvious insult that Professor Snape had casually tossed out against one of her favorite students. But she kept her mouth closed.

"Sir?"

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"If it's matter of money, I still have some left over from buying my school supplies. Would anyone mind if I contributed some or all of the money needed to buy that potion from wherever it is available?"

"And why would you do that Mr. Potter?"

Harry frowned as he thought that type of question would be coming from Snape instead of Professor McGonagall. "There has to be some of that root or potion available somewhere even if it is rare. I just thought it would be better for Mr. Filch if Mrs. Norris was cured sooner than later."

"And why would you care what Mr. Filch feels Potter?"

Harry looked back at Snape's familiar sneer and just shook his head. "You might think I'm much too sentimental but nobody, including Mr. Filch, should have to suffer with the loss of their best friend in such a horrible manner. We'll be going back to our dorms now; thank you for believing me Sir and answering our questions."

With that said Harry led Hermione and Ron out the DADA office and closed the door quietly behind them. Professor McGonagall nodded her head as if satisfied by the response she had received.

Dumbledore placed a hand on Professor Snape's shoulder. "And that answer is why Severus we will make sure that no student in this school will ever try and start the tale or rumor that Harry Potter is mixed up with the Chamber of Secrets. Do you understand?"

Snape barely nodded his head as he swept his robes around him and left to return to the dungeons.

Dumbledore slumped against the wall. "The Chamber must not be opened. The danger to the students is too great."

Professor McGonagall tried to find some words to comfort her friend and boss.


End file.
